


Widogast's Wondrous Proposal

by thatkidryder



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Cute, Fluff, Kissing, M/M, Marriage Proposal, One-Shot, Set Vaguely In The Future, Shadowgast, happy crying, happy wizards
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:01:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25395037
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatkidryder/pseuds/thatkidryder
Summary: Caleb proposes to Essek like the dumb shy wizard he isset in a future where the M9 still go adventuring and Essek has a teaching job in Zadash, and the lads have been together for years.
Relationships: Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast
Comments: 13
Kudos: 188





	Widogast's Wondrous Proposal

Essek set a steaming mug on his desk, beside a stack of copied spells he’d left the night before. Student’s homework, which he had to check for accuracy and penmanship. The late morning sun diffused through semi-sheer dark curtains. Essek reached across the desk to close the window and shut out the winter chill. He pulled his robe-Caleb's robe, so just a little big- up over his shoulders and settled into his seat. A set of keys clunked into the front door from the first story, and Essek smiled, knowing that Caleb was finally home. Essek wouldn’t give Caleb the satisfaction of seeing how truly excited he was by his arrival home. It had been less than a week since he'd been home, and he's kept in touch. Just another typical cycle in their lives.

He heard the faint tinkle of their doorbell- a much smaller version of what had been put in the Rosohna house, but Caduceus had insisted every 'Nein' home have one. From below there was the shuffling of bags being set down, questions posed in playful Zemnian and answered with bright meows. Essek took a sip of his tea and shifted in his seat, debating who he was playfully depriving of attention by not welcoming Caleb home. The heavy footsteps on the stairs spurred him to seem utterly absorbed in his work.

Frumpkin trotted into the room and leapt up onto the desk. 

“Hello, Frumpkin.” He said, and gave the cat’s ear a lazy scratching. Essek heard a deep sigh and footsteps behind himself. A callused, dirt streaked hand rested on his shoulder. Essek turned his head and met Caleb's lips in a quick kiss. Travel-worn, a little chapped and smelly, but welcome. He let Caleb pull away and gazed into his weary, but happy face.

“Welcome home.” Essek said, and turned back to his work. Caleb smiled, squeezed Essek’s shoulder and pressed another kiss to his cheek. Essek cleared his throat. “Um.” He glanced to the dirtied hand on the clean robe. Caleb pulled back in mock insult and smiled.

“It’s _my_ bathrobe!” Caleb laughed. Essek shrugged out of his grip, smiling.

“It is, and it’s _clean._ ” Essek said, turning back to the scrollwork. “You may touch all you like- when you are as well.” Caleb laughed and shifted out of eye sight. Essek’s chest was warming fro his heart and Fumpkin watched Caleb from the desk with shining eyes. Caleb returned, placing an intricate scroll case at Essek’s elbow.

Well, he did know how to draw Essek's attention. Essek rolled the student scroll back up and pulled the case over to look at it. The outside was carved and detailed in an intricate pattern of stars and glowing red planets. There was not a scratch on it- hardly something Caleb could have picked up wherever the Nein had been adventuring.

“Is this a souvenir?” Essek said. The bottom of the case bore a signature he’d grown familiar with in the last few years. “This is from The Invulnerable Vagrant.” He said, popping the lid open, reassured it would not explode in his face. Essek turned in his seat to find Caleb pulling his shirt over his head and his heavy coat on the ground. A clear line a dirt-dyed sweat marked where the neckline had ended. Caleb shrugged and Frumpkin hopped down from the desk to nestle into the discarded garment, curling into a brown and black spotty ball. Clearly the cat had a very different preference for the condition of Caleb’s clothing than Essek.

“Ah……" Caleb began. " Schisse, it's cold up here. The case is one I commissioned from the Pumats. The contents are something I was hoping to get your eye on. Something I’ve been working on.” Caleb kissed Essek once more on top of the head as he headed back onto the landing. “I’m going to have a wash, maybe light a fire.” He said. Essek smiled and untied the seal on the scroll.

“And then you may touch all you like.” He said, quirking a brow and stealing a glance at Caleb’s travel-toned back. Caleb scurried out of sight, ears red already. Essek looked between the stack of scrolls he still had to grade, and back to the fine scroll beside him. If this was a new spell, once he looked at it, he'd be able to think of nothing else until it was completed. So he critiqued and praised his student's work for a while longer until he could give this gift from Caleb his full attention.

The scroll was on fine paper, vellum, or as nice. The script was of course, Caleb’s familiar hand. But this was hardly the format of a developing spell- it was too neat and clean, nothing scratched out and rewritten. Caleb was hardly the type to waste fine materials on a rough draft. He glanced further down.

_Widogast’s Proposal_

Essek felt his throat swell with a lump, and reread the title, glancing over the entire scroll without reading it. Essek shut his eyes a moment. They had spoken before, briefly, about being all but married already. Essek maintained he might be jumping to conclusions as to what this scroll really contained, and took several deep breaths. He read further.

_School: Transmutation/Dunamantic_

Essek’s eyes grew hot and he swallowed, clutching the scroll with both hands as they began to shake with the drumming of his heart. No mistaking it then. Frumpkin jumped up onto the desk and startled him. The cat butted his head into Essek’s knuckles, and Essek laughed, letting the unstopped tears slide down his cheeks.

“Hi Frumpkin…” He said. “Did you have any part in this?”

Frumpkin purred and watched Essek a moment, and then hopped off the desk and trotted out the door with his tail straight up. Essek leaned on his palm and watched the cat go, and laughed to himself. He went back to reading.

_Components:(M, V) 1 ring, comprised of a silver band and a purple opal(worth no less than 1,000 gp)_

Essek looked to the case, but there was nothing else in it. He turned back to the scroll, sniffing and smiling, and not noticing the red haired wizard who had snuck back into the room, lowered to one knee.

_Casting Time: 7 years_

_Duration: Life_

_This spell is symbolic in nature, and yet comprised of the strongest magic in the known worlds. The components listed are those that may be acquired and utilized, but unlisted is the affection and partnership that must be fostered and developed between two hearts over the course of years._

A tear fell onto the page, and Essek flinched, not wanting to ruin the ink.

“Fuck- shit!” He exclaimed, and shook the scroll off to the side.

And he saw Caleb, dressed only in a loose pair of clean trousers, down on one knee. The small open box in his hands shook lightly. Essek’s mouth gaped open faster than he could cover it. His eyes darted from the gemstone set in the ring, failing to sparkle in the diffused light, to Caleb’s eyes, which were lightly red and nearly dropping tears as well.

Essek pulled the curtains open with a mage hand, which made Caleb jump a little. But Essek shielded his eyes and watched the ring shift the light over Caleb's newly scrubbed skin, setting it aglow in refractions of iridescent light. Essek felt how wide the smile was across his face, but noticed the light shiver to Caleb, kneeling in the cold room. He stood from the chair and draped Caleb's robe over Caleb’s shoulders. Caleb laughed and looked at the floor. He shifted his arms into the sleeves while Essek began to shiver lightly, still in his sleepwear. Caleb shook his head and sniffed.

“You know… " Caleb said, "if you give your answer… then we can both be warm.” Essek laughed. The ring still reflected the daylight brilliantly from its box, but it paled in comparison to the love they saw in each other’s eyes.

“You know my answer.” Essek said, a little quietly. Caleb smiled, suddenly unable to hold eye contact. Still, he nodded, and scooted further forward over the floor. He reached for Essek’s hand, which he was prepared to give, but stopped. Essek leaned forward, curious at the holdup.

“….I would still, very much like to hear it.” Caleb said. Now it was Essek’s turn to drop his eye.

“I….” Essek began and laughed. Caleb just smiled at him, and sniffed. How he loved him. He took a breath in and felt his eyes flood with joy all over again. “I will marry you, Caleb Widogast.” Essek said, and his skin felt alight with the kindest fire. Caleb gently pulled his hand forward, and slid the ring on. A little loose, but within a moment it shrunk to fit. Essek’s curiosity spiked again, and he gazed at the ring.

“….What does it do?” Essek said. Caleb blinked.

“Ah, nothing, it just sizes to fit.” Caleb said, sniffing, and encouraged Essek to stand with him. Essek admired the ring again.

“Hm.” Essek said, and then glanced up to Caleb before wrapping his arms up around his neck. He kissed his _fiance_ softly, slowly. Even with all the time they had so far, and the time they had before them, and in every reality, this was unique enough to be special. Caleb walked them back towards their bed, already cold from Essek’s leaving it a few hours ago. “Ah- one moment.” Essek said, and Caleb immediately halted. Essek stayed close, their noses touching.

“What is it?” Caleb whispered, and kissed him lightly. Essek smiled, and pushed lightly at Caleb's chest so he would sit down. Essek climbed atop of him, and held his hand to Caleb's cheek. Caleb kissed his fingers and watched him with utter joy and reverence.

“Marriage or not…. It has been my intent for quite some time to remain at your side, cherishing you, for the remainder of our lives.” Essek said, and Caleb nuzzled against his palm, skin perfectly soft and smooth, freshly shaved. Essek chuckled, and slipped his fingers over Caleb’s neck and down into the warm sleeves, pressing their chests flush as Caleb laid back.

"But?" Caleb said.

Essek kissed him.

“But this was a nice surprise.”

**Author's Note:**

> <3


End file.
